


star spangled man with a plan

by Starfire (kalypsobean)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:58:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7804525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalypsobean/pseuds/Starfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>for a prompt at <a href="http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/744863.html?thread=98397855#t98397855">comment_fic</a> by vanillafluffy: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Steve Rogers + Bucky Barnes, Steve was healthy all along; he and Bucky enlisted together.</p>
    </blockquote>





	star spangled man with a plan

**Author's Note:**

> for a prompt at [comment_fic](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/744863.html?thread=98397855#t98397855) by vanillafluffy: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Steve Rogers + Bucky Barnes, Steve was healthy all along; he and Bucky enlisted together.

Steve's so excited to show Bucky his papers that he trips over his feet and lands on the ground - face first, because he twisted to keep the papers out of the mud. 

"Good thing they didn't make you actually do anything in there," a voice says from behind him. Steve knows it's Bucky only when there's warm hands helping him up, and he can shake his head to clear the ringing, though things are still a bit wavery if he tries to look at any one point. "They might change their minds if they could see you now."

"I'd try again, until someone took me," Steve says. Bucky laughs. He yanks on the papers until Steve lets them go. 

"Of course you would," he says. "Looks like we're reporting at the same time. Think we'll get to go to the front together?"

"'Til the end of the line," Steve says. Bucky always says it to him, after all; that's how they are. "They'd have to tie me up in a sack to stop me coming after your arse if they split us up."

"We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen," Bucky says. Steve likes the next part; he always likes when Bucky slings an arm around his waist and pulls him along, making walking effortless, as if Bucky is his gravity and he's falling, all the time. "But first, we gotta get some ice for the shiner you're going to have."

 

~*~

 

Steve doesn't like basic training much. The only person who really talks to him is Bucky; everyone else is excited about reps and weights and how many people they will kill. Steve has to remind himself why he's there, every day, or he'd be one of the ones who disappears.

At least, he assumes that's where they go.

Some of the ones who left were like Bucky; perfect marks in something, the right amount of enthusiastic, friendly to everyone and respectful to the right people. Steve tries, but he isn't like that, and it shows. Bucky's pulled him away from more than one accidental insubordination, and there's nothing that Steve's really good at that would distract from his blunders the way Bucky's shooting scores give him a godlike immunity to discipline.

When the Senator reviews their parade, Steve thinks the sick feeling in his stomach is because it's Bucky's turn to disappear.

Instead, the runner, a girl named Peggy, comes for him.

 

"Stay out of trouble without me," Bucky says, faking a smile; it doesn't reach his eyes, and that's how Steve knows that Bucky's afraid, probably has been all this time.

"I'll find you," Steve says to Bucky, as Peggy stands in the doorway. "I'll come out there and I'll find you."

 

~*~

 

Steve finds Bucky's name on the list of the missing at a nameless Allied camp in Italy.

"I can help you," Peggy says; he didn't even know she was there, too caught up in imagining Bucky's possible fates. "You're wasted here."

"Yes," Steve says. He's spent years being ferried around with dancing girls and prop guns; he'll take what he can get.

"Wait," Peggy says. "You'll have to do something for me first, and it won't be easy for you."

"Yes," Steve says, again, as if repeating it would make her believe him. "Whatever it takes, yes."

"Well then," Peggy says. "I think you'd better escort me to Medical."

Steve doesn't look back, not even to wave goodbye.


End file.
